"France Maintains the Goal of Creating a ‘European Army’" Topic

"France's long term "ambition" is to work with several other states to create a European Army to share in procurement, command and operations, Defense Minister Florence Parly said in an interview with Le Parisien newspaper, reasserting the plan announced by President Emmanuel Macron.

Details of a continental army have yet to be defined and may emerge from the current European Intervention Initiative, an existing effort at military cooperation that has focused on procurement and operations among 10 nations. More countries, including Sweden and Norway, are expected to join, Parly said…"
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Good or bad idea?

Amicalement
Armand

Probably pretty simple. Just lay down your arms and surrender, while brushing up on your Babbel version of German.

Oh wait, Germany has largely, unilaterally disarmed.

Perhaps they should brush up on their Polish, instead.

A "European Army" will not be possible, definitely not on a short term. National armies working together however will, both by less use of different weapon systems and by operating together on an international scale. There is, for instance, a combination of German tanks and Dutch personell. The raising of a new "Grande Armee" however is (IMHO) a French pipe dream.

Each nation's military is an important tool, not just in defense, but in politics and economy. It lets you move a lot of young people up the socioeconomic ladder by providing jobs that lead to more jobs. It allows politicians to direct giant sums of money towards specific corporations or allies. Politicians can do favors when they decide where to put the bases, which foreign countries to cooperate and train with, etc. No one's going to give that up.

Of course, you could say the same thing about monetary policy and the gave that up.

Still, do Bulgarians want people in Brussels deciding where their young men are sent to die? Knowing that for the people in Brussels sending the army is a political move, possibly conducted for the good of France and Germany, not Bulgaria?

And Russia, obviously, is going to want to torpedo this, and they may have the means.

It will be interesting to watch this develop.

The raising of a new "Grande Armee" however is (IMHO) a French pipe dream.

That's been the conceit of French politicos that via the EU, Europe will unite with France as providing sophisticated leadership, backed by German military and economic might.

(smile)

Amicalement
Armand

Hard to imagine this happening. For discussion let's say they get Russia to join in. So Russia, France , and Germany each contribute an amored division. Everyone else a mech infantry division ( brigade for smaller nations) what to they do with that army? Where can they send it? Not going to happen, they have no stomach or economy to support a large force at home or deployed.)

I always think that the new Army would be ready AGAINST Russia…

Amicalement
Armand

I believe Armand has an excellent point there.